Heart of the Lakes

What Heart of the Lakes does

Heart of the Lakes is a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2004 and headquartered in Bay City, Michigan, that serves as the collective voice and advocacy coalition for Michigan's land conservancies. Operating with a lean staff of approximately seven employees, the organization concentrates and strengthens the efforts of Michigan's land conservation community by providing leadership, innovative ideas, and public policy advocacy that no individual land trust could effectively mount on its own. Through its members and partners, the coalition represents more than 2,000 conservation and recreation organizations across the state.

The organization runs an interconnected portfolio of digital platforms and programmatic initiatives, including the main Heart of the Lakes website, the Urban Conservation Initiative (urban.heartofthelakes.org), the Passion & Purpose Adventure Hub (adventure.heartofthelakes.org), the Farmland Preservation Program (farmland.heartofthelakes.org), the Ramble & Mosey Podcast, and the protectMI campaign. These initiatives address rural land conservation, urban greening, outdoor recreation economy, farmland protection, and diversity/equity/inclusion across Michigan's public lands. The technology stack is conventional web content management with social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vimeo, and YouTube, plus a monthly email newsletter (The Treeline); no proprietary technology, app, or AI capabilities are disclosed.

Heart of the Lakes is funded entirely through donations and contributions to its 501(c)(3) vehicle, with no published pricing tiers, membership dues, or fee-for-service revenue. Its go-to-market is community-led: acquiring supporters via its website, newsletter, and community events, and acquiring coalition members through statewide convening and policy engagement. Strategic financial support comes from named institutional funders including the C.S. Mott Foundation, The Conservation Fund, and the John A. Woollam Endowment for Conservation (established 2014), while operational partnerships with the Michigan Recreation & Park Association (mParks) and Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance extend reach into the broader recreation and parks ecosystem.

Name

Heart of the Lakes

Legal name

Heart of the Lakes

Website

https://heartofthelakes.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Heart of the Lakes is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2004 that serves as the collective voice and advocacy coalition for the state's land conservancies, representing more than 2,000 conservation and recreation organizations through leadership, public policy advocacy, and programmatic initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Nonprofit Coalition

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Land conservation
• Conservancy coalition
• Policy advocacy
• Farmland preservation
• Urban conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bay City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Heart of the Lakes relies on tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations to fund conservation programs, campaigns, and initiatives across Michigan.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Heart of the Lakes is a statewide nonprofit coalition that unites Michigan's land conservancies under a common goal of protecting the state's environmentally and economically significant land and water. It provides collective leadership, advocacy for smart public policy, capacity building, communication services, and education for land conservancy board members, staff, and volunteers, while operating programmatic initiatives in urban conservation, farmland preservation, and outdoor recreation advocacy.

Product overview

Heart of the Lakes is a statewide nonprofit organization serving as the collective voice for Michigan's land conservancies. The organization operates a network of interconnected digital platforms and initiatives focused on land conservation: the main Heart of the Lakes website provides organizational leadership and policy advocacy; the Urban Conservation Initiative (urban.heartofthelakes.org) transforms urban neighborhoods into greener spaces; the Passion & Purpose Adventure Hub (adventure.heartofthelakes.org) showcases outdoor industry partners and coastal preservation case studies; the Farmland Preservation Program (farmland.heartofthelakes.org) protects agricultural land; the Ramble & Mosey Podcast delivers conservation and outdoor recreation content; and various campaigns like protectMI and DEI initiatives address specific conservation challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• United representation for 2,000+ conservation and recreation organizations statewide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Michigan Recreation & Park Association (mParks)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since 2017, Heart of the Lakes has coordinated with mParks and Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance to guide diversity, equity and inclusion for Michigan's public lands, trails, parks and recreation facilities. Together they represent more than 2,000 organizations.
• Michigan Trails and Greenways AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since 2017, Heart of the Lakes has coordinated with Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance and mParks to guide diversity, equity and inclusion for Michigan's public lands, trails, parks and recreation facilities. Together they represent more than 2,000 organizations.
• protectMI CoalitioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAn education campaign championed by Heart of the Lakes, mParks, Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, with help from a coalition of nonprofits and outdoor businesses that advocate to protect and enjoy Michigan's outdoor spaces. Celebrates outdoor spaces by raising awareness of their accessibility and sharing stories of Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund projects.
• Michigan Natural Resources Trust FundcoreOthersprotectMI campaign raises awareness about Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund projects that help create vibrant communities and enhance residents quality of life. Trust fund grants have funded development and expansion of parks, public green space, trail networks, protection of beaches, forests and wetlands, and improvement of park accessibility.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Great Lakes Commission: Binational (US-Canada) agency promoting the integrated management and protection of the Great Lakes. Comparable in water-focused Great Lakes conservation and policy advocacy, though multi-state rather than Michigan-only.

Broad incumbents

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that protects land for public use, including parks and working lands. Comparable mission of land conservation with policy and program work; broader geographic scope and larger operating budget.
• Land Trust Alliance: National umbrella organization for land trusts in the United States. Comparable to Heart of the Lakes as the national-level analog providing policy advocacy, education, and capacity building for member land conservancies.
• The Nature Conservancy (Michigan): One of the largest global conservation organizations with an active Michigan chapter that operates land conservation and policy programs. Comparable in land conservation focus but with vastly greater scale and direct land ownership capacity.
• Conservation Fund: National nonprofit focused on environmental conservation including land protection and economic development. A current financial partner of Heart of the Lakes; comparable mission with greater geographic reach and direct land acquisition activity.

Direct peers

• Michigan Recreation and Park Association (mParks): Michigan trade association for park and recreation professionals; strategic partner of Heart of the Lakes since 2017 on DEI for public lands. Directly comparable in membership-coalition structure serving parks and recreation constituents.
• Michigan Environmental Council: Statewide Michigan coalition of environmental and conservation organizations. Directly comparable in mission, geography, and membership-coalition model — both aggregate member organizations for collective advocacy in Lansing.
• Michigan League for Conservation Voters: Michigan-focused environmental advocacy organization. Comparable in operating geography (Michigan-only), mission (conservation), and member/donor-driven advocacy model.
• Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance: Michigan statewide trails and greenways coalition that is an active partner of Heart of the Lakes (joint DEI initiative since 2017). Direct peer in coalition-based advocacy for public lands in Michigan.
• Michigan United Conservation Clubs: Michigan-based conservation coalition with similar statewide membership structure focused on natural resources and outdoor recreation advocacy. Highly comparable in operating model and member-organization constituency.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/heartofthelakes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpW3FrNzwHEDCsMSb19BhIw
• Facebookfacebook.com/michiganland
• Instagraminstagram.com/heartlakes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heartlakes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heart of the Lakes